Boris ValÃ¡bik

Boris Valábik ( born February 14, 1986 in Nitra, Czechoslovakia) is a Slovak ice hockey player who is since January 2013 with the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League contract.

2.1 International

Career

Boris Valábik comes from the young HK Nitra. A total of three years from 2003 to 2006 played for the Kitchener Rangers Valábik in the Ontario Hockey League. During this time he was appointed in both the First All - Rookie Team OHL, and the All- Rookie Team of the Canadian Hockey League. During the NHL Entry Draft 2004, he was selected as the tenth overall player of the Atlanta Thrashers.

In the summer of 2006 Valábik first played in professional hockey after he was included in the squad of Atlanta's farm team of the American Hockey League, the Chicago Wolves. In the 2007 /08 season he made his debut in the National Hockey League for Atlanta. Overall, he came in his first season on seven missions for the Thrashers and won the Calder Cup the Wolves. In February 2011, the Thrashers gave him off in a transfer business to the Boston Bruins, who used it until the end of the season in the farm team for the Providence Bruins.

3 July 2011 Valábik signed a Zweiwegvertrag for one year at the Pittsburgh Penguins. There he played after having overcome a knee injury initially for their farm team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. There he suffered however after three inserts a hand injury that ended his season. In the following season the Slovak signed during the NHL lockout initially a contract with the HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga, before he returned in January 2013 to North America and Pirates of the AHL signed with the Portland.

Internationally

For Slovakia Valábik took part in the U18 World Championships in 2003 and 2004. In addition, he was in the squad of Slovakia during the U20 World Junior Championships in 2005 and 2006.